Egbert paton



UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE..

ROBERT rAroN, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

SCHOOL-SEAT.

Speciication forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,101, dated August 20, 1861 Reissued .August 30,

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT PATON, of the city, county, and State of New York, have` invented a new and Improved Seat Designed for Schools and Public Sitting- Rooms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1. is a back view of my invention, in elevation. Fig. 2. a transverse vertical section of ditto, taken in the line m, a', Fig. l.

Similar 'letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of seats which are commonly termed folding seats; and which are designed to offer as little obstruct-ion as possible in the sweeping or cleansing of the room in which they are placed, as well asto facilitate the passing of persons between them in the congregating and breaking up of an audience or assemblage.

The object of the invention is to obtain the results above alluded to with a less amount of stock than hitherto required for the seats and at the same time have equally as comfortable a one, and firmer and more durable than those hitherto constructed.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A. A. represent two cast-iron side pieces or supports, the lower parts of which are forked to form legs a, a. The upper parts 1 of the side pieces are also forked, having arms b, c, of unequal length, as'shown clearly in Fig. 2. The arms Z), of the side pieces form supports for a back B. which is a plank firmly bolted to the arms b, the plank B. extending up as high or a little above, the tops of the arms Z), Z).

To the upper end of each arm c, there is attached by a joint CZ, a bar C.. The joints d, d, are at the back edges of the upper surfaces of the arms c, and said upper surfaces are sutliciently long to form proper bearings for the bars C. when the latter are in a horizontal position.

To the bars C. C. the seat D. is attached. This seat is simply a plank of proper thickness and of su'liicient width. The back edge of the seat or plank does not extend far back of t-he joints al, CZ, and a space c, is consequently allowed between the back edge of the seat and the lower edge of the back B. as shown clearly in Fig. 2. By this arrangement it will be seen that the whole width of the seat D. is rendered available as a seat, andv no unnecessary stock is used, as is the case with ordinary seats of the kind, the backs of which extend underneaththe lower edge of the back B.` and depend upon that bearing for a support, there being no bearing in front of the joints el, as in my inveni tion.

In the old plan there is 'necessarily a considerable width of seat which is not available, the part extending over space c, and the joints (Z, (l, require to be made very strong as they are subjected to the whole weight on the seat.

In my improvement, the seat being supported by the upper ends of the arms c, which are of sufficient area to form good bearing surfaces nearly under the center of the bars C. C. strong and efficient supports are obtained forthe seat, and no unnecessary width of the seat is required.

To the back B. there is attached by hinges f, a plank E. which serves as a desk. This desk when in use is supported by a bracket F. which is hinged to the back B.

The desk E. is used for schools and when not in use is readily lowered by turning bracket F. to one side, as shown in red in Fig. 2. Then the seat D. is unoccupied it is turned up as also shown in red in same ligure. Thus it will be seen that the floor of the apartment, in which the invention is placed, may be veryreadily swept or cleaned as a free passage is allowed between the rows of seats, which is all the advantage of the ordinary folding seat, while my invention, it is believed, has in addition the advantage of greater strength and durability with greater economy in construction.

I do not claim a seat arranged so as to be capable of being folded upward parallel the seat is supported directly underneath it, and in front of the joints d.

ROBERT PATON.

Vitnesses JAMES LAIRD, M. M. LIVINGSTON. 

